While Verizon has temporarily pushed back the release date of the DROID Charge after a 24-hour 4G LTE network outage yesterday, I did manage to get my hands on a review unit this afternoon.

The first thing I noticed was how sleek and futuristic this phone looks - it is just plain cool, in a way that no HTC or Motorola device even comes close to. The boot animation is probably the best on any DROID to date.

Verizon released the first subscriber figures for its rapidly expanding 4G network today - presumably to highlight strong sales of the carrier's first 4G handset, the HTC Thunderbolt.

Of the 565,000 (500,000 is the number Verizon added to its subscriber base in Q1) 4G users, about 260,000 are utilizing Verizon's LTE service via an HTC Thunderbolt. This means that since the launch of the Thunderbolt on March 17, Verizon has been gaining over 100,000 new LTE subscribers a week.

We just got word from Amazon that there is a new version of the Kindle app for Android available that brings numerous optimizations for tablets running Honeycomb, effectively making a Kindle out of your non-Kindle tablet. Here's the full press release:

SEATTLE, April 21, 2011 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Today Amazon announced an update to Kindle for Android that brings new features and adds support for tablet computers running Android’s Honeycomb, including the Motorola Xoom.

4G is here - and it seems like all four of America's biggest carriers are more than happy to advertise the fact that they've got it. Sprint was first on the scene - offering their WiMax 4G, and T-Mobile shortly thereafter began its upgrade to HSPA+ technology. Verizon was next, providing mobile broadband LTE via USB dongle for laptops, though its much-awaited debut 4G handset, the Thunderbolt, has yet to hit shelves after numerous delays.

The 45th Super Bowl is only a week away, and NFL Enterprises decided to help out all attendees by introducing the official Android app. The app features 3D pinch-to-zoop-and-rotate maps of North Texas, parking, events and local info, and a detailed map of the Cowboys Stadium with Steelers and Packers already clearly marked on the field. You can also utilize GPS to find yourself on the map in case you get lost in the crowd.

Still playing with dummy units while shopping for your next phone at your local retailer? Those things are annoying, aren't they? You can hold them in your hand, but you can't touch or interact with them in any way.

Best Buy may just have the solution. You'll have to take a few steps back in order to see the new Nexus S demo unit in all its glory, because it's a fully functional 42" monster, complete with a working touch screen, live wallpaper, apps, and everything that a real Nexus S contains.

Well, Verizon is up to their old tricks again. Last time they did something worthy of a head-scratch was just a short time ago, when they forced Bing onto the Fascinate and abandoned the built-in Google bits and pieces for search.

Now they've decided that, in addition to Google Maps, Google Search, and Google Voice Search not being necessary, the Android MARKET is insufficient. Introducing the Vcast App Store!